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Chemical solution to sticky problem

It is one of the world's stickiest problems - removing chewing gum from pavements.

The dirty habit costs millions of pounds every year.

However, scientists from Queen's University in Belfast and Manchester University have got together and believe they have moved a step closer to cracking it.

At their first meeting on Tuesday, they welcomed the decision by the Department of Trade and Industry to provide more than £500,000 for the project.

It takes council workers about eight weeks to clear up the pavements of Royal Avenue in Belfast.

Caroline Briggs from the council's cleansing department said it was "a never-ending job".

"We spend approximately £60,000 a year to remove chewing gum," she said.

"However, we could spend 10 times that amount and still not really crack the problem.

"It's a very time consuming and labour intensive process."

'Commercially viable'

The new hi-tech solution is being developed in a laboratory at Queen's University.

The ionic liquids have been nicknamed "super solvents" because of their remarkable properties.

Maggel Deetlefs, assistant director of the team that is developing them, said: "The DTI would never have given us the money for this project if they thought it was 'pie in the sky'.

"This is something that really could be commercially viable and very valuable, in fact."

She added: "What we envisage for this product is a little canister that you can walk around with containing your gum-removal agent.

"You walk up to your spot of gum on the pavement, you spray it on, and then let nature - ie rain - or good town councils with cleaning brushes, brush it away.

"It should be as simple as that."

The cleaning agent must include natural enzymes, which are being designed by Jill Stephens and her team at Manchester University.

"The whole idea is to develop enzymes that will break down chewing gum using ionic liquids to help soften the chewing gum up on the pavement," she said.

"There are certain enzymes that will work on chewing gum related substances and break them down into little small building blocks which can then be washed away using water."